I'm already trying to plan my next fun-car move, post CRX.
I haven't thought much about a Mini since about 2003. I'm a bottom feeder. What's it like down there?
I'm already trying to plan my next fun-car move, post CRX.
I haven't thought much about a Mini since about 2003. I'm a bottom feeder. What's it like down there?
Expensive. From what I've been seeing, MINIs are like any other German car - the don't like neglecting maintenance. Unfortunately, many are purchased by non-enthusiasts who are used to Toyotas and Hondas. Fortunately, MINIs are fairly easy to work on as modern cars go. The engines hold up the fine tradition of British cars and tend to leak oil like crazy. MINIs are also a bit like Corvettes in they made continuous changes through the model cycle, so a newer car will have fewer issues and generally be better than an early one.
Personally, I'd only consider an '05-'06 car. Factory LSD, a bit better gear ratios, tail lights that are a bit less "classic car like" in brightness, an interior a bit less prone to rattles.
Finding an unmodified R53 is getting harder, but they're out there. Don't completely dismiss the R50. Not the raw acceleration of the supercharger cars, but still fun. Plus, you can play with them a bit and still be competitive in autocross (STF) if that matters to you at all.
Some current issues with our R53 that still need attention: the hood release cables have stretched. That won't be fun... A still unknown rattle from the engine. Might be a idler pully, might be something worse. Although ok on our car, the shifter cables can stretch which requires taking a fair amount apart to get at - although I'd rather do this than the shifter in an E30.
One of the first things I'd look for would be strut tower mushrooming. If you're lucky it'll have some and you can use that to negotiate the price down, but its easy to fix.
My pal's 50kmile '04 S is on its 2nd twelve hundred buck power steering pump...
Okay, I'm done here.
Jay_W wrote: My pal's 50kmile '04 S is on its 2nd twelve hundred buck power steering pump...
You need ps on a car that Small?
The MINI P/S pump has an external fan for cooling, and it can suck up trash bags, rocks, other debris, etc. which cause the pump to fail. The aftermarket offers a few pump guard setups for pretty cheap which are said to help a lot.
The ductwork on modern BMW I6 alternators has the same problem (V8s have been water-cooled for a while); no cooling fan, but blockage with debris is a common issue. After I lost an alternator that way I rigged up a screen across the lower grill and haven't had any more crud get caught in there. Anything that keeps the air flowing should help a lot.
Jay_W wrote: My pal's 50kmile '04 S is on its 2nd twelve hundred buck power steering pump...
I'm sorry, but if your pal paid $1200 to have a single power steering pump replaced, he got taken. Badly. That's about an hour job for somebody who's done it. Pretty easy diy job as well. IIRC, a friend replaced the one in his car for ~$300.
Not to thread jack, but.... I noticed some whining from the steering pump on our 05 r53 recently. Is that a bad sign for the ps pump?
Also, Ian - any experience changing the clutch and throw out bearing DIY?
ultraclyde wrote: Not to thread jack, but.... I noticed some whining from the steering pump on our 05 r53 recently. Is that a bad sign for the ps pump? Also, Ian - any experience changing the clutch and throw out bearing DIY?
The clutch and TOB arent hard, but you do have to drop the whole front subframe so there's a lot of small jobs before you're in. i found lowering the subframe with the control arms detatched from the struts and with the complete PS hydraulics (bottle/lines disconnected from firewall) to be the most straight forward. bumper cover comes off, drain tranny, pull axles or hang the tranny end w/bunjees/wire and the airbox has to come out for access to the top of the trans for mounts/cables/wiring. support the engine at an angle and the tranny isnt hard to remove, but like i said there's a bunch of little steps. once in it's a normal clutch job. and you'll need external torx sockets.
ultraclyde wrote: Not to thread jack, but.... I noticed some whining from the steering pump on our 05 r53 recently. Is that a bad sign for the ps pump?
They're pretty noisy pumps, I wouldn't worry about the noise. Check the fluid level, check to be sure that the fan runs and leave it at that.
The pump fan should activate at the same time as the rad fan.
Yes, they are noticeably noisy. I agree about keeping an eye on the fluid too and make sure the fan is clear of debris so it doesn't jam and pop the fuse.
I've done the clutch a couple of times. As mentioned, you have to drop the subframe. I prefer to leave the struts in place to keep the brakes in place. The FSM method is to put the MFE panel (holds the radiator and condenser) into service mode using some special tools that space it away from the chassis about 4". Others remove the panel, drain the coolant and leave the a/c hanging. The slave can be fussy as well. The first time I just unbolted it and moved it out of the way and when reinstalled it worked fine. The second time it required the special tool that holds it compressed for bleeding. Odd. Anyway, do some searches on NAM. There are some clutch how-to's.
I bought, made and borrowed some of the special tools as well. The shift cable release tool, trans seal protectors, MFE extensions (made), engine hanger (borrowed and copied) and clutch alignment tool (borrowed and took dimensions to copy). This was all back when I was more active in the local MINI clubs and was working on them somewhat regularly.
I've had an'06 R53 for about a year and nothing really bad to report. It's fun to drive and nothing to repair, but i'm planning ahead. I've owned plenty of BMW's and Porsches...and it's no worse. As a bonus, it's easier to work on than most of those were too.
Its a FWD BMW, 'nuff said.
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